13.1.1 Graduate Admission

Concordia University of Edmonton welcomes applications from those who wish to pursue graduate studies and research, including students from other provinces and countries.

There is no general right of admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies; Concordia University of Edmonton may at its discretion refuse admission to any applicant. Due to the limited enrolment capacity of Concordia University of Edmonton’s graduate programs, admission is competitive; meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission.

Graduate Admission Applications, transcripts, and supporting documents are received and compiled by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Completed applications are reviewed by the appropriate Program Appeal Committee (PAC), which makes recommendations to the Dean of Graduate Studies as to the student’s admissibility according to the graduate program’s requirements. All applicants are notified in writing as to the admission decision of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Successful applicants are required to pay a non-refundable registration deposit (section 5.2) to confirm their acceptance of the offer of admission. Normally, an applicant’s decision to accept an offer of admission must be received within three weeks of the offer date.

An admission decision is valid only for the academic term in which it is granted.

A. General Admission Requirements

The minimum requirements to the Faculty of Graduate Studies are outlined below. Applicants are reminded that individual graduate programs may impose additional admission requirements.

To be considered for admission, applicants must present the following minimum requirements:

A four-year baccalaureate degree or a combination of a three-year baccalaureate degree followed by a baccalaureate or graduate degree requiring the former degree or its equivalent from a recognized institution. Individual graduate programs may recommend applicants as qualifying/probationary students (e.g., those with three-year degrees).

An admission grade point average (AGPA) of 3.0 (on Concordia University of Edmonton’s 4-point scale) or equivalent on the most recent attempted 60 credits of undergraduate (or graduate) study including up to 15 credits of CR/NC grades. The AGPA is calculated using the most recently attempted credits, including failing marks, but excluding CR/NC grades. Normally, courses completed in the spring and summer session immediately preceding the term of admission are not calculated in the AGPA.

B. Graduate Studies Readmission

There is no guarantee of readmission. Students must reapply for admission and meet the General Admission Requirements to the Faculty of Graduate Studies as outlined in section 13.1.1.A. In addition, students must meet the applicable program specific Admission Requirements outlined in sections 13.3, 13.4 or 13.5. Upon readmission, students are also governed by the program requirements of the Calendar in effect at the time of their readmission.

Concordia University of Edmonton’s Graduate Admission Application is available online at https://concordia.ab.ca/graduate-studies/. An application for admission to a graduate program is complete when all of the following have been received by the Faculty of Graduate Studies:

The Graduate Admission Application, completed in full.

Official transcripts and degree certificates from all post-secondary institutions attended.

Official transcripts of graduate admission tests required for admission to the graduate program.

Original supporting documents required for admission to the graduate program.

Demonstrated fulfilment of the English Language Requirement, section C.

1. Ownership of Documents

All documents, including official transcripts, received by the Faculty of Graduate Studies become the property of Concordia University of Edmonton and are not returned to the student under any circumstance. Concordia University of Edmonton does not release these documents to third parties unless required by law.

2. Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation, falsification of documents, or withholding requested information are serious offences. If at any time it is discovered that students have misrepresented facts, falsified documents, or withheld requested information on official Faculty of Graduate Studies forms, they may be subject to one or more of the following penalties:

Verbal and/or written reprimand

Disciplinary or academic probation

Cancellation of admission and/or registration

Requirement to withdraw from the institution

Placement on Document Alert, a national warning notification list used by post-secondary institutions

Prosecution under the Criminal Code of Canada.

Individuals interested in applying to study at Concordia University of Edmonton should review section 8.6.3, Applicant Conduct.

D. English Language Requirement

English is the principal language of instruction at Concordia University of Edmonton. To ensure that graduate students have the best opportunity to achieve academic success, all applicants whose first language is not English (regardless of citizenship or country of origin) are required to demonstrate English language proficiency prior to admission, in one of the following ways:

Successful completion of a degree or its academic equivalent from a recognized academic institution in which English is the primary language of instruction (Note: The Faculty of Graduate Studies reserves the right to determine whether a particular institution is recognized as an institution in which the language of instruction is English.)

A satisfactory score on one of the following approved English language proficiency examinations, taken within the last two years, as described below:

CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language) Assessment. The minimum satisfactory overall score is 60, with at least 60 on each subtest.

Successful completion of Concordia University of Edmonton’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program EAP Tier 1 and EAP Tier 2 or EAP Tier 2 with a minimum score of C or higher in each tier satisfies Concordia University of Edmonton’s broader English Language Requirement for admission to Concordia University of Edmonton’s Graduate Degree programs. Successful EAP performance is considered one component of an application to any academic program; admission requirements and competitiveness (if applicable) to any degree program is still required.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum satisfactory score is 550 (PBT) or 80 (iBT). When requesting that official TOEFL test scores be sent to Concordia University of Edmonton of Edmonton, students should indicate Concordia University of Edmonton’s institution code, 0916.

Successful completion of Pathway III offered through International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC).

E. Admission Classification

Students are admitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Concordia University of Edmonton on the basis of their previous academic record. Students may be admitted as full-time or part-time and are classified as one of the following:

1. Regular Graduate Students

are students who, having met all the admission requirements, are registered in a faculty-approved graduate program at Concordia University of Edmonton.

2. Qualifying Graduate Student

meet the admission requirements for a graduate program but lack the background in a chosen area of specialization to pursue graduate studies in that area. Qualifying graduate students are registered in the Faculty of Graduate Studies but are not candidates for a degree/diploma/certificate.

During the qualifying period, which normally should not exceed one year or five full-course equivalents, students are required to complete courses specified by the department concerned.

In addition to the required courses, the student may be permitted to take one or more graduate courses with the permission of the PAC. Upon the student’s satisfactory completion of qualifying work, the department may recommend that the student be reclassified as one of the following: (a) probationary graduate student or (b) regular graduate student. This reclassification is not automatic and is dependent on the student’s academic performance.

Qualifying graduate students are required to pay the tuition fees for all courses taken during the qualifying period. Neither the non-program courses taken nor the fees paid during the qualifying period may be credited toward a subsequent degree/diploma/certificate program.

3. Probationary Graduate Students

are those whose academic record is either (a) difficult to assess, as may be the case of students from foreign universities, or (b) below the academic standard required by a department.
A probationary graduate student is admitted under the following conditions:

In the first one-semester term in which the probationary graduate student registers, he or she must take the courses and workload specified by the department at the time of admission.

The probationary graduate student must meet all probationary conditions and achieve the minimum grades established by the department.

The probationary conditions will be clearly stated in the student’s admission letter, followed by the statement that if the student fails to satisfy the stated conditions, the student may not be allowed to continue in the program.

After the first term of probationary registration, the following regulations apply:

Full-time Students: If the full-time probationary graduate student satisfies all of the probationary conditions of admission, the department recommends that the student be accepted as a regular graduate student. All graduate courses successfully completed during the probationary term may be credited toward the student’s graduate degree/diploma/certificate.

Part-time Students: If the part-time probationary graduate student meets all of the probationary conditions in the first term, the department may recommend a second term of probationary registration and shall specify the conditions of that registration.

If a student fails to meet all of the conditions of admission as a probationary graduate student, the department recommends one of the following to the Faculty of Graduate Studies:

that the student be allowed to register for a second one-semester term as a probationary graduate student. This written recommendation to the Faculty of Graduate Studies must include the following: (a) an indication of how an Incomplete or Failure in a course will be managed and (b) a specification of the minimum number of graduate courses that are to be taken by the student.

that the student may be permitted to register as a qualifying student provided that he or she has not already been admitted as a qualifying student.

that the student not be permitted further registrations in the program. This written recommendation to the Faculty of Graduate Studies must include a rationale for the decision.

Any student who fails to meet the conditions of a second probationary registration may not continue in the program.

Probationary graduate students are not considered to be candidates for a degree/diploma/certificate.

4. Special Graduate Students

are those who take graduate courses without proceeding to a graduate degree/diploma/certificate at Concordia University of Edmonton. They must meet the general admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. However, with the consent of the Dean of Graduate Studies and the appropriate Director, students may be admitted as special graduate students for graduate certificate courses even though they do not meet general requirements for Graduate Studies.

A special graduate student is not a candidate for a degree/diploma/certificate at Concordia University of Edmonton and will not receive any residence or fee credit toward a subsequent degree/diploma/certificate program at Concordia University of Edmonton for work completed as a special graduate student.

Admission as a special graduate student does not imply eligibility for admission to a degree/diploma/certificate program in any department. Individuals who wish to study under this classification must apply and be admitted each year in which they take courses.

Special graduate students require written permission from the department concerned to register in a course.

Probationary status as a special graduate student may be granted on an individual basis.

5. Visiting Graduate Students

are those who are registered at another university that does not have an exchange agreement with Concordia University of Edmonton. Students must obtain written permission from their host institution and from Concordia University of Edmonton to take one or more courses for transfer credit toward the graduate degree program at their home institution.

13.1.2 Transfers, Course Exemptions, and Substitution

Individual graduate programs may impose additional limitations for course transfer, course exemptions, and substitutions.[Approved by the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Graduate Studies on February 26th, 2019],

Thesis-based programs: The total course work credit weight required for any thesis-based program may not be reduced by more than one third (⅓) through any combination of transfer credit and course exemption from the requirement set out in each department’s program. Refer to Exceptions, section D.3

Course-based programs: The number of courses nearest to, but not exceeding, three fifths (3/5)one half (½) of the total units of course weight of a student’s program can be met through transfer credit and/or course exemption if recommended by the department and approved by the Faculty of Graduate Studies on a case-by-case basis.

A. Definitions

Transfer Credit refers to the formal transfer of credit for a course(s) which has been earned outside the program. Transfer credit for certain courses may be granted by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, provided the courses have not been counted toward a previous degree/diploma/certificate or program and were not used to satisfy admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Course Exemption refers to the reduction in required credit weights of a student’s program by removal of specific courses normally required. In special circumstances, the Faculty of Graduate Studies may approve exemption of certain courses if the student has completed appropriate equivalent course work at Concordia University of Edmonton or elsewhere, but the program may not be reduced by more than the value set out above.

Course exemptions are recommended by the administrator of the program area to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Decisions concerning course exemptions can not be appealed under Concordia University of Edmonton’s appeal procedures

Applications for a course exemption for any course must be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Office at least two weeks before the term in which the course is offered. See Academic Schedule, section 2.0.

Course Substitution means that a department may, at its discretion, exempt specific required courses from a student’s program to substitute more appropriate courses equivalent in weight to the courses exempted.

Limits. The description of each graduate program in this Calendar contains a listing of the required and optional courses.

B. Exceptions

For students who have commenced an equivalent graduate program at a recognized university and are relocating to Concordia University of Edmonton, consideration will be given to departmental recommendations for transfer credit which exceeds the limit stated above. See department program descriptions for exemptions specific to individual programs.

Students should note that they cannot apply directly for transfer credit or course exemption; the department, through the MPC, must petition the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

13.1.3 Registration

A. Academic Standing

1. Grading System

Descriptor

Alpha Grade

Grade Point Value

Excellent

A+

4

A

4

A–

3.7

Good

B+

3.3

B

3

Satisfactory

B–

2.7

C+

2.3

Fail

C

2

C–

1.7

D+

1.3

D

1

F

0

Other Final Grades:

Credit (C+ or higher)

CR

No Credit

NC

Pass (P)

P

Pass (P) is used exclusively for non-credit or 0-credit courses marked as Pass (P)/Fail (F)

2. Academic Standards

For students in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the normal passing grade is C+. A student who receives two or more grades below a C+ may be Required to Withdraw from the program, regardless of his/her overall GPA in the program.

All students in graduate programs must maintain a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.7. In cases where the cumulative Grade Point Average falls between 2.3 and 2.7, graduate programs may recommend that the student be Required to Withdraw from the program, or that the student be permitted to continue in the program for a specified probation period; continued unsatisfactory performance may result in the student being Required to Withdraw from the program.

A student must obtain a minimum Grade Point Average of 2.7 to graduate from the program.

The above are minimum grades and grade point averages acceptable for the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Graduate programs may require higher grades than these.

3. Master of Arts (MA) Examination Committee (thesis-based programs)

The MA Examination Committee will consist of the following members:

A neutral chair, chosen from a department other than the student’s department; the chair functions solely to guide the process of the examination.

The student’s supervisor

An external examiner, chosen from a department other than the student’s department

A second reader from the graduate faculty in the student’s department.

4. Grading of MA Thesis

Following the completion of the MA examination, the MA Examination Committee will assign one of the following verbal evaluations to the thesis:

Acceptable, with no revisions

Acceptable, with minor revisions

Acceptable, with major revisions

Unacceptable

Students whose theses are judged to be “Acceptable, with minor/major revisions” will be required to resubmit their theses by the established time limit for their program. Refer to Time Limits, section 13.1.3.B.2.

“Unacceptable” theses will be assigned a mark of “no credit”.

In cases in which the MA Examination Committee judges a thesis to be of exceptional quality, the Committee may make a formal recommendation to the Dean of Graduate Studies that the student be awarded a Faculty of Graduate Studies Thesis Award or any other thesis award that may be instituted at Concordia University of Edmonton. When such thesis awards are approved, the name of the award will be noted on the student’s academic transcript.

B. Maintenance of Registration

1. Residence

Course-based programs: Over the duration of their program, students in course-based master’s graduate programs must complete a minimum of 2/3 of the total number of credits required for the program at Concordia University of Edmonton. This is a minimum requirement; students are required to fulfill the department requirements, which may be higher.

Thesis-based programs: Over the duration of their program, students in thesis-based master’s programs must complete a minimum of 2/3 of the total course work plus the thesis at Concordia University of Edmonton. This is a minimum requirement; students are required to fulfill the department’s thesis-based program requirements, which may be higher.

2. Time Limits

The time limit (or maximum period of time permitted to complete the requirements for a degree) is calculated from the start of the term in which the student first registers in that specific program.

Thesis-based master’s students normally must complete all the requirements within four years of the term in which they first register as probationary graduate students or as regular graduate students.

Course-based master’s students normally must complete all requirements within six years of the term in which they first register as probationary graduate students or as candidates in the master’s program, unless the department has indicated a shorter time limit.

In exceptional circumstances, a candidate who has failed to complete all the requirements for the degree within the appropriate period specified above may be granted an extension upon departmental recommendation and approval by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

3. Registration at the end of programs

Course-based programs: When a student in a course-based program completes all of the course work and other requirements and the department submits a Notice of Final Completion for Course-Based Master’s Degree to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the student’s name will be forwarded to the Registrar’s Office to be included in the list of graduates for the next convocation.

Thesis-based programs: Students in thesis-based master’s programs must register in a Thesis during the registration period in which the thesis and accompanying evidence of program completion is submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. This enables the Faculty of Graduate Studies to award credit for the thesis at that time. Thesis-based programs are not recorded as complete until the thesis and accompanying documentation have been submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

4. Registration Status

A student’s registration status is determined automatically by the total number of credits (including a project or a thesis, where appropriate) in which the student is enrolled in a given semester. Audited courses are not included in the calculation of registration status.

Full-time registration: These students are registered in 60% or more of the full (normal) semester course load of their graduate program.

Part-time registration: These students are registered in less than 60% of the full (normal) semester course load of their graduate program.

This means, for example, that in a course-based program in which the full (normal) course load is 15 credits/semester, students must register in at least 9 credits/semester to be considered full time. In a thesis-based program in which the full (normal) course load is 9 credits/semester, students must register in at least 6 credits/semester to be considered full-time.

5. Registration Procedure

All registrations for newly admitted and continuing graduate students, as well as for Special and Visiting students, will be processed by the Registrar’s Office

Step 1. Registration Counselling: All graduate students in degree/diploma/certificate programs must consult with their department and discuss their program with their supervisor prior to registering.

Research Project Registration for students in course-based master’s programs involves registering in the appropriate 500-level course. Registration in this course is restricted to students in a course-based graduate degree program.

Thesis Registration is restricted to students in thesis-based graduate degree programs. Qualifying, Special, and Visiting graduate students may not register in Thesis.

Step 2. Register: Once newly-admitted and continuing graduate students in degree programs have determined their program requirements in consultation with their departments, they register through the Faculty of Graduate Studies office.

Step 3. Confirm Registration: To retain their registration, all students must confirm their registration online before the deadlines published in the Academic Schedule, section 2.0. For policies governing the confirming and changing of registration, refer to Changing Registration, section 4.3

6. Minimum credit requirements for registration

Course based programs: Over the duration of their program, students in course-based master’s programs must register in and be assessed fees for a minimum of 24 credits. This is a minimum requirement; students are required to fulfil the department requirements, which may be higher than the minimum of 24 credits.

Thesis-based programs: Over the duration of their program, students in thesis-based master’s programs must register in and be assessed fees for a minimum of 12 credits thesis and 12 credits course work, for a total of 24 credits. This is a minimum requirement; students are required to fulfil the department’s thesis-based program requirements, which may be higher than the minimum of 24 credits.

7. Leave of Absence

Leave of Absence (LOA) status may be granted when a student is unable to work on his/her program as a result of serious constraints such as family emergencies, medical requirements, and parental or caregiving responsibilities; but work, holiday, or travel during a single term is not justification for a formal leave of absence.

A student may apply for a leave of absence for a period of four months, eight months, or twelve months. The leave will begin on the first day of an academic term. Whenever possible, the student should apply for the leave of absence before the starting date of the anticipated leave, or as soon as possible after the event necessitating the leave occurs. It is preferable if the beginning and end of a leave coincide with the beginning and end of an academic semester or registration year. Leave is not granted retroactively, nor to a student whose registration is not current, or whose time in the program has elapsed. The leave time is not included in the time period for completion of the degree.

During a leave of absence the student is expected not to be working on a graduate program; the student on LOA does not pay fees and is not entitled to those services that are normally provided to students.

Graduate students on LOA are not eligible to receive awards. The leave period is not included in the time period for award tenure. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the proposed leave is compatible with the regulations of any granting agency from which funding would normally be received during the leave period, and that such agencies are informed of the proposed leave. Recipients of student loan funding should clarify the consequences that such a leave will have on their repayment status. Information can be found at www.studentaid.alberta.ca. International students should consult the immigration authorities regarding their immigration status during the proposed leave.

Registration in courses during the leave period will be cancelled. If the cancellation occurs before the fee payment deadline for that term, the courses will not show on the transcript. If the cancellation occurs after the add/drop deadline, the courses will be shown with the notation W (withdrew). Tuition fees will be assessed in the normal fashion for any terms in the program before or after the leave period. If the student is enrolled in any portion of the term after the add/drop deadline for that term, fees will be assessed for that term. General fees will be assessed when the leave period overlaps the annual registration date, to maintain the student’s status in the program and to allow access to Concordia University of Edmonton facilities.

Leave of Absence Procedure:

student negotiates the leave with his/her supervisor and obtains from the supervisor a formal letter of approval to grant a leave.

student and the supervisor seek approval of the Master’s Program Committee and obtain a letter of approval to grant a leave.

student submits the following documents to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for approval:

a formal written request by the student for the leave, explaining the reasons for the request, and including any appropriate supporting documentation (such as a letter from a doctor);

the supervisor’s letter of approval to grant a leave;

the Master’s Program Committee’s letter of approval to grant a leave.

If the Faculty of Graduate Studies approves the request, the Faculty will notify the Registrar’s Office.

8. Incompletes and Extensions

The Faculty of Graduate Studies adheres to the policy on incomplete work as it is defined in Incomplete Work, section 9.2.4. Graduate students who require extensions to the deadline for the completion of course work must, in consultation with their instructor, submit an Application for Incomplete to the Faculty of Graduate Studies office on or before the last day of lectures for courses. In such cases, instructors will assign a grade of I (Incomplete) to a student for the course (including for a research project for a course-based program). Students who fail to submit completed work by the date designated by the instructor will be assigned a grade of F (Fail) for the incomplete work. (The Faculty of Graduate Studies may consider a written request from a Master’s Program Committee for an extension beyond the deadline set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies office only under exceptional circumstances.)

When the student completes the course requirements, the instructor forwards the student’s final grade to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for approval; the approved new grade is then recorded by the Registrar’s Office, and the grade of I (Incomplete) is removed from the student’s record. If the course requirements are not met by the extended deadline, the student will receive a grade of F (Fail) for the incomplete work, which will be factored into the calculation of the final course grade.

For research projects in course-based programs only: If a student anticipates that he/she will not be able to meet the course requirements of the research project by the typical 4-week extension deadline, the students may apply to his/her Master’s Program Committee for a four-month extension. If the Master’s Program Committee approves this application, the committee will recommend to the Faculty of Graduate Studies that the student be allowed to re-register in that course. The new deadline will be the last class of the semester immediately following the term in which the student was originally registered in the research course. This application for re-registration and four-month extension must be made before the original extension deadline date: that is, while the student is officially in the course and in Incomplete status.

The re-registration must be in the term immediately following the term of the original registration. The fee for this re-registration will be 50% of the full fee for the course.

The grade for the term in which the student registered remains on the transcript as I (Incomplete). The grade for the term in which the student re-registers will be the final grade and will be based on the work that is completed; any incomplete work is assigned a mark of F (Fail).

Should a student require a further four-month extension to complete the research project, that student will again have to apply to the Master’s Program Committee. If the Master’s Program Committee approves the application, the cost for the second re-registration will be 100% of the full fee for the course.

9. Thesis Registration (Thesis-based programs)

Thesis registration will always be considered a full-time registration. Students are required to register in Thesis 712 in each semester in which they are working on their thesis, for a minimum of two semesters and thereafter each semester until the thesis is satisfactorily completed. Students are required to register in the term in which they defend the thesis and complete the degree requirements.

At the completion of a graduate program, the thesis will be given the number of credits that have been assigned to it in the program design.

Students wishing to convocate at the Spring convocation of a particular year must submit the final draft of the master’s thesis to the thesis supervisor no later than the first day of classes after the Winter semester Reading Week. Students seeking degree conferral at the end of September or the end of January must consult with the Chair of the Master’s Program Committee.

Thesis 712: (Full-time registration): Students are required to register in Thesis 712 in two semesters and to pay the tuition fees for two full-time Thesis registrations (fees equivalent to 6 credits per semester).

10. Continuing Registration

Students must maintain continuous registration in the program. Students who do not register in any academic year are considered to have withdrawn from their graduate program.

Course-based programs: Students in course-based graduate programs must register in a minimum of 3 credits of course work or in MREG 600 Maintaining Registration for at least one term in each September-to-August period to keep the program active.

Thesis-based programs: In order to keep their program active, students registered in thesis-based programs must register each Fall and Winter semester until the program is completed. Students not registered in course work or thesis must register in MREG 600 both terms of Fall and Winter in order to keep their programs active.

Students who have registered in Fall/Winter and are working only on thesis research during May to August do not need to register separately for this period.

Full-time students who are registered in full-time thesis in the second year of the program will be assessed a per-credit thesis fee at the rate of 6 credits in the Fall term and 6 credits in the Winter term. Fees for continuing thesis registration after the second year of full-time registration will be assessed a per-credit fee at the rate of 6 credits per term.

Note: All students in thesis based programs are required to register in and be assessed fees for a minimum of 12 credits thesis: see “#6 Minimum credit requirement for registration” below.

Fees for MREG 600 are assessed at a rate equivalent to a 3-credit registration (see section 5.0, Fees).

Failure to maintain registration: Students who fail to keep the program active as described above will be considered to have withdrawn from their program. If they wish to resume work on the program, they must apply for readmission by submitting a new application and paying the application fee. They will have their program reassessed in terms of the regulations in force at the time of reapplication. There is no guarantee of readmission.

Leave of absence: Students who anticipate an interruption in their program must apply for a leave of absence to the Master’s Program Committee of their program for approval by the Faculty of Graduate Studies (see #7).

Incompletes and extensions: Students are required to complete the requirements of all courses (including research projects in course-based programs) within the time limits of an academic term. In exceptional circumstances, students may apply for time extensions for the purpose of completing course requirements (see #8).

13.1.4 General Program Requirements

In addition to the program specific program requirements as given in sections 13.3, 13.4, and 13.5, students in all graduate programs have to successfully complete the Graduate Ethics Training Course FGS 600 by the applicable deadline for application for graduation, see Academic Schedule, section 2.0. Normally, students complete this course in their first term.

13.1.5 Graduation Requirements

There are three conferral dates each year, normally held in September, January, and May. For further information, see Graduation, section 9.7.

Students in thesis-based programs must complete all course work and submit the number of unbound copies of the thesis required by their department to the Faculty of Graduate Studies by the deadline dates specified in the Academic Schedule, section 2.0.

Students in course-based programs must complete all program requirements prior to the deadlines set out in the Academic Schedule, section 2.0.

13.1.6 Thesis, Dissertation, Project and Capstone Guidelines

The Thesis, Dissertation, Project and Capstone Guidelines are included in this calendar and provided as a pdf file.

13.1.7 Timelines for Thesis, Dissertations and Projects

The Thesis, Dissertation and Project Deadlines are as provided below.

If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, applications and documents are accepted until the end of the next business day.

Thesis/Dissertation

(Students must plan a minimum of 12 months to complete this activity.)

Activity

Spring Graduation & Convocation

Fall Graduation

Winter Graduation

Name of external examiner forwarded to Dean of FGS for approval and invitation to participate

Oct. 1

Mar. 1

July 1

Final draft to supervisor and all members of thesis/dissertation committee

Nov. 15

Apr. 15

Sept. 1

Final draft of thesis /dissertation approved by committee and submitted to FGS for
forwarding to an external examiner (at least one (1) month prior to defense)

Dec. 1

May 1

Sept. 15

Thesis/dissertation oral defense

Jan. 15

June 1

Oct. 15

Signed thesis/dissertation Oral Defense Report to FGS

Jan. 30

June 15

Nov. 1

Final draft of thesis/dissertation with two (2) sets of signature pages signed by committee along with recommendation for the Award of the Degree form to FGS (for formatting approval and signature of the Dean of FGS)

Feb. 15

June 30

Nov. 15

Application for Graduation

See Academic Schedule

See Academic Schedule

See Academic Schedule

One (1) final unbound copy of thesis/dissertation sent for approval to Dean of FGS

Mar. 25

July 25

Dec. 8

Once the thesis/dissertation has received final approval from the Dean of FGS, the student must provide to the FGS the following:

two (2) official copies;

an electronic version;

a completed Permission form (Appendix O); and

if necessary, a completed Request to Withhold (Appendix O1)

May 1

Aug. 15

Dec. 17

A Thesis/Dissertation Defense will not be scheduled in August or December.
If a student wants a bound version of the thesis/dissertation for personal reasons, then he or she will require an additional set of original signatures pages, and will make their own arrangements for the binding and the costs related thereto.

Project

(Students must plan a minimum of 8 months to complete this activity.)

1. All MISSM and MISAM Projects

Activity

Spring Graduation & Convocation

Fall Graduation

Winter Graduation

Approval of student supervisor 3rd week of the term where
Research Methods II is taken.

Nov. 1

Mar. 1

Sept. 1

Approval of proposal; and submission of final draft of document to instructor of Research Methods II and Final Research Project

See Instructor of Research Methods II and Final Research Project

See Instructor of Research Methods II and Final Research Project

See Instructor of Research Methods II and Final Research Project

Application for Graduation

See Academic Schedule

See Academic Schedule

See Academic Schedule

Once the Research Project has received final approval from the Master’s Policy Committee of the Program, the student must provide to the FGS the following:

two (2) official copies;

an electronic version;

a completed Permission form (Appendix O); and

if necessary, a completed Request to Withhold (Appendix O1)

Submission of Final Research Project to the Dean of FGS.

Not later than 48 hours after the end of the final exam period

Not later than 48 hours after the end of the final exam period

Not later than 48 hours after the end of the final exam period

2. All Projects except MISSM and MISAM Projects

Activity

Spring Graduation & Convocation

Fall Graduation

Winter Graduation

Approval of student supervisor, committee and proposal

Nov. 1

Mar. 1

Sept. 1

Final draft of document to supervisor

Jan. 15

May 15

Oct. 15

Final draft of document with signature page signed by committee along with the recommendation for the Award of the Degree form to FGS (for APA formatting approval and signature of the Dean of FGS)

Feb. 15

June 30

Nov. 15

Application for Graduation

See Academic Schedule

See Academic Schedule

See Academic Schedule

One (1) final unbound copy sent for approval to Dean of FGS

Mar. 25

July 25

Dec. 8

After the Research Project has received final approval from the Program Coordinator, the
student must provide to the FGS the following:

two (2) official copies;

an electronic version;

a completed Permission form (Appendix O); and

if necessary, a completed Request to Withhold (Appendix O1)

Apr. 15

Aug. 15

Dec. 17

If a student wants a bound version of the project for personal reasons, then he or she will require an additional set of original signatures pages, and will make their own arrangements for the binding and the costs related thereto.